Secrets of Paranoia
by Shadowzamy
Summary: Yoh has a relatively simple life as a shaman. Not quite a care free life, but easy enough. However, that begins to change when he starts to hear this voice, a voice that only he hears. Could it be a shy spirit, or something else? After the voice appears, strange things start happening and he finds himself questioning his friends, his family, his safety, and his own sanity.. HaoxYoh
1. Not so Imaginairy

Not so Imaginary

VvV

Yoh hummed the tune to one of his favorite songs as he walked down the old abandoned street. The lines of paint were faded from the years it had been left alone and moss had grown over the once black surface. The large cracks made it difficult to walk on, even though hardly anyone walked down the old road anymore. There was talk around the town about possibly fixing it, but it was unlikely that it would actually happen.

Most people thought the road was creepy, probably because it was haunted, but he liked it. The ghosts were fun to talk to and there were even a few ghosts old enough to tell him about when the town was built. He figured that another reason that he liked it was because could talk to Amidamaru without anyone staring. Amidamaru was his friend; unfortunately, others couldn't see him because he was a ghost.

"Yoh!" A voice called from behind him.

Yoh smiled as he turned around to face his other friend, Manta. Manta was human, but he could see ghosts too. Even though he was a bit skittish, he was a neat guy, he was also Yoh's first human friend.

"Hey Manta. I thought you didn't like taking this road." Yoh said with a smile.

"I don't, but my usual route is closed down for construction." Manta replied simply. "I know you talk to ghosts and all, but this road is just a bit too creepy for me."

"No need to worry. We're almost at school anyway." Yoh said with a carefree laugh.

Manta smiled as the school came into view. It was a tall, white, rectangular building with a flat roof, there several windows decorating all four sides of it. It was hard to see inside the windows from the outside, but inside you could see everything from the gym to the main gate. The roof was supposed to be off limits, but some students went up there anyway. Yoh was one of those students.

The view from the roof was amazing. A bit like the windows, it was near impossible to see what was up there from below, but on top you could see the entire school grounds as well as some of the town. As they walked through the front gate, the ring of the bell echoed through the grounds. Manta instantly panicked when he heard the bell. Yoh could understand why, this was Manta's first time being late.

"Come on, Yoh, hurry up!" Manta called as he ran through the front door.

Yoh merely shrugged as he walked into the school, today was just like any other day after all.

VvV

Yoh sighed and looked out the window as the math teacher finished up the lecture tor the day. He hadn't payed attention to a word that teacher said, which he was sure would come back to bite him later. His grandparents had been annoyed about his grades lately and because of that, Anna's hell training had gotten worse. He had hardly any free time already and he had less than he did before because of the extended training.

He wondered why his grandparents couldn't seem to understand. The longer Anna's training got, the less time he would have for studying. His mom understood, but she would never talk back to her parents and dad was hardly ever home, so he couldn't help. When his dad was home, he hardly ever spoke to him. Yoh occasionally heard them all talking about something, but they always dropped the conversation before he could hear what they were saying.

He knew that whatever they were talking about, it concerned him. Once he had asked Amidamaru to tell him what they were saying, but when he came back later he said that he wouldn't tell. Anna knew about it, even Ren, Horohoro, Joco, Lyserg, Faust, and Ryuu seemed to know about it. They didn't deny it when he asked, but they didn't tell him why it was a secret either.

The bell finally rang to signal the end of school, Yoh was a little upset about it though. He didn't like school, but it was the only place where he felt that people weren't going behind his back about something. If it had started recently, then he wouldn't have found it such a big deal, he was an easygoing guy after all. Unfortunately, it hadn't started recently. It had been going on for years. Not long after it started, he began to feel distant and alone. Manta was still with him, but he was busy most of the time and they rarely got to hang out anymore.

Yoh paused before deciding to take the long route back home. Anna would be pissed, but he didn't care. Everyone else had already gone back ahead of him, even Amidamaru. He was normally carefree about pretty much anything, but even he would get upset when the people he cared about were keeping secrets from him for over four years.

He walked over to a tall cherry tree and sat down next to it. He really wished that he had someone to talk to right now. The last time he had felt this alone was before he met Anna, before he had met anyone. He hated it back then. The other kids would always bully him and he couldn't do anything about it. It was like he was living like he was back then again.

"I just wish I had someone to talk with." Yoh whispered.

Yoh closed his eyes and focused on the breeze. For a moment, it almost felt like someone was hugging him.

'''_I'll talk with you._''' A voice replied.

Yoh's eyes snapped open and he quickly glanced around, searching for the one who spoke. The sky was all that greeted him, painted in many hues from the setting sun. It was a beautiful sight, but highly unlikely that it was what spoke. Confusion set in when he saw no other humans, shaman, spirits, or even animals. He was the only one there.

"Huh?"

'''_I said, I'll talk with you._''' The voice repeated in the same tone as before.

Yoh sat there in silence for a moment, unsure of whether or not he should respond to the strange voice. However, only a minute had passed before he decided. This voice had never done him any wrong, so there was no reason to be wary of it. It didn't seem like it was all in his head either, so there was no harm.

"Who are you?"

'''_I'm afraid I can't really answer that. I said I would talk with you, and if answer your question now, then we wouldn't be able to talk._''' The voice replied apologetically.

"Ok. How old are you then?" Yoh asked, his eyes sparkled with curiosity.

'''_I'm older than you._''' The voice said teasingly.

"That doesn't fully answer my question." Yoh said with a smile.

As they continued talking, Yoh became more relaxed, like he used to be before all the secrets. The voice was fun to talk to. It was a great listener and also a good talker. It knew about a lot of things happening all over the place. Yoh would tell it stories of his life while the voice would talk to him about current events as well as things that happened ages ago.

"Master Yoh, what are you doing?" Amidamaru asked uncertainly.

"Talking. Why?" Yoh replied, confused by Amidamaru's reaction.

"Well, there's no one here and you appeared to be talking to yourself just now, I couldn't hear anyone else." Amidamaru replied hesitantly.

'''_Yoh, I'm sorry. I forgot to mention, only you can hear me... I have to go now, I'll talk to you again later._''' The voice said quickly.

"It's alright Amidamaru. I was just thinking about some things and ended up speaking my thoughts." Yoh said simply.

"Oh, I see. Anna sent me to find you, she's in a bad mood since you skipped your evening chores." Amidamaru said as he began leading Yoh back home.

Yoh didn't like to lie, but he didn't want his friends to start questioning his sanity either. He didn't think that he had made up the voice, he just figured that he was talking to a shy spirit. In time, he figured that the spirit would show itself. Until then, his friends and family could whisper about whatever they wanted behind his back, he had his own little secret.

VvV

Me: Yay! It's finally that time of year. Oh how I love Halloween._ In the shadows of Hallows' Eve exist some creatures you wouldn't believe. They come with fangs and crimson eyes, so get ready for a great surprise. Werewolves and demons will knock at the door, preparing for a night of fear and gore. If you wish to stay safe and keep them at bay, take out some treats and lead the way. Become the darkest demon of the night and rule the creatures made for fright. With a bag in tow and some tricks up your sleeve, you can have the greatest Hallows Eve. Have your fun until the night is done, then check your spoils and see what you've won._


	2. Strange Friends

Strange Friends

VvV

The next day, Yoh was rudely woken by Anna's legendary left, sending a loud smack reverberating through the entire house. He only had a second to brace himself before landing face first on the hard wooden floor. Pain surged through his left cheek and forehead as he slowly turned to face his fiance. When his eyes met her icy glare, he wished that the earlier slap had knocked him out. Anna looked pissed.

"W-What is it Anna?" Yoh asked quickly.

"Get up, get dressed, then go do two laps around the city. Don't come back until you're done." Anna snapped before promptly leaving the room.

Yoh stared blankly at the door before turning to look at his alarm clock. Was Anna completely out of her mind? It was only four in the morning, he had another eight hours before his alarm was due to go off, not that she seemed to care. With a sigh, Yoh got dressed, grabbed his headphones and headed out the door. He had known Anna long enough to know that she wouldn't change her mind no matter how much he begged.

He smiled lightly as he looked up at the sky. At least he could still see the stars. As he walked into the city, however, the small lights disappeared. It made him sad when the stares were blocked out by the city lights, but at least he could still see the clouds.

Hours passed by with him barely noticing. He only realized that it was almost noon was when his stomach growled to remind him that he hadn't eaten yet. His eyes quickly scanned the area for a good place to rest. He found a spot shaded by a large tree and headed over, happily flinging himself onto the cool shaded grass. Just as he was about to close his eyes for a short nap, a small object fell onto his lap.

He eyed the round, paper covered covered object with interest before looking up at the branches of the tree. It was definitely not an fruit bearing tree and there was no one sitting in the branches either. Slowly, he returned his gaze to the round object and carefully peeled off the paper. His stomach growled as he registered what the item was: an orange.

He smiled to himself as he peeled the orange an plopped a piece into his mouth. The tangy sweet goodness of the orange instantly filled his taste-buds and quieted his stomach's protests. As he swallowed the first piece and plopped another piece into his mouth, he glanced back towards the piece of paper with curiosity. After unraveling the paper, he noticed a few words written on it.

It read: Good luck with training.

Yoh quickly finished the last of the orange ad then threw the peel in the trash. He was curious about who had sent the orange, but happy that they did. If it had been Anna, she would have just thrown it at him before walking off. Horohoro also would have just tossed it to him or handed it to him just like the rest of his friends would have. Why was it just dropped onto his lap?

'''_Thinking about something?_'''

Yoh was slightly startled by the voice's sudden appearance, but the surprise was quickly taken over by happiness when he realized that he wasn't alone anymore. "Yup. I just got an orange with a message that said-"

'''_Good luck with training?_''' The voice asked, it's tone indicating that it already knew the answer.

"Yea. How did you know that?" Yoh asked curiously.

'''_I sent it._''' The voice replied.

"You sent it? How? I didn't see you." Yoh said quickly.

'''_If I wanted you to see me I wouldn't have left the note, now would I?_''' The voice said simply.

"Point taken." Yoh said with a small chuckle.

'''_Well, I better let you get back to your training now. Talk to you later._'''

Yoh couldn't help but feel disappointed when the voice was gone, it had left so soon too. With all of his friends back at the house and himself being unable to go off his route, the voice was the only company he had. Although, he was happy that the voice had shown up. After another few minutes of precious rest, he got up and continued his walk.

When he noticed that it was getting dark, he started looking around for some place to sleep. Once he found a comfortable looking bench, he lied down and gazed at the sky above. There were few clouds out tonight, but the city lights were what prevented him from seeing the stars. A small sigh escaped his lips as he closed his eyes. He had hoped to see the stars before he went to bed. With that thought in mind, he drifted off to sleep.

VvV

'''_Yoh,wake up. If you start walking now you might finish your laps and make it back home before ten... Come on, get up..._''' The voice said, becoming somewhat impatient from the lack of response.

'''_Wake up!_'''

Yoh's eyes snapped open and he quickly glanced around for the source of the noise, still slightly disoriented from having just woken. After his brain had a moment to catch up with what was going on, he smiled and slowly got off the bench.

"You scared me." Yoh said as he got to his feet, "I thought it was some weird person was trying to wake me just now."

'''_Who knows, maybe I am a weird person._''' The voice chuckled.

"Hehe. Maybe, but you're still my friend." Yoh said with a smile.

'''_I'd prefer the term 'companion'. I don't like the term 'friends'._''' The voice replied curtly.

"Why? Do you not like friends?" Yoh asked curiously.

'''_They only drag you down and get in the way of things. The closer you are to these __**friends**__, the more painful it will be when they betray you._''' The voice said simply.

"That's not true. Friends are always meant to be there for you." Yoh said quickly.

'''_I speak from experience._''' The voice said flatly.

Yoh became quiet after that as he tried to think of the right thing to say. When the voice said that it spoke from experience, did that mean that it was once betrayed by a friend? Who would have betrayed it and why? What could he say to try and convince the voice that not all friends are like that? He wasn't really sure what to do, but he wanted to say something to change the voice's view on friends. Not all friends were like the one that betrayed it.

"True, there are some friends like that," Yoh said, picking his words carefully, "But not all friends are the same. When I was young, there was one friend who hurt me, but then my other friends helped me out. If you give them a chance, I'm sure you'll find that friends are not as bad as you think."

'''_That's only until they find something to fear about you. Then they're all the same._''' The voice replied.

"I wouldn't hurt you." Yoh said determinedly.

'''_Maybe, but who's to say that I won't hurt you?_''' The voice challenged.

Yoh sighed. "You're not making this very easy, are you?"

'''_Nope._'''

The next several hours hours seemed to pass rather quickly, by the time he'd looked at the clock it was already six in the afternoon. He hadn't taken a break since lunch and he was getting tired. The voice hadn't spoken up again since the little argument. Yoh wondered what could have happened to the voice to make it so distrustful of friends. It didn't seem like the voice was going to change it's mind any time soon either.

Yoh decided that the next time he talked with the voice, he was going to make sure that they were friends. It didn't really matter what they talked about, he just had to find a way to convince the voice that being friends isn't a bad thing. When he finally reached the house, it was after ten. By the sound of snoring reverberating through the household, it wasn't that hard to guess that he was the only one awake.

Amidamaru didn't seem to be around either, he probably went with Bason and Tokegero over to the cemetery to chat. Yoh didn't mind, he was actually thankful that his guardian ghost wasn't around for once, he wanted to talk to the voice without anyone else listening in. He quickly went to his bedroom and changed into his yutaka before quietly heading to the back yard. After closing the door and taking a seat on one of the wooden steps leading to the pathway, he let out a sigh.

"You know, before I made any friends, I was really lonely. I hated people too, but then I met Manta, Horohoro, Ren, Ryu, Joco, and Lyserg. However, my meeting with Ren and Ryu wasn't what one would call the best of first impressions. Ryu tried to sent me to the hospital when we first met and Ren tried to kill me during our second meeting... But, after getting to know them a little better, I learned that they were both pretty neat guys. Now, we're all great friends." Yoh said quietly, hoping the voice heard.

'''..._I take it there's a point to telling me this?_''' The voice drawled.

"My point is, although some people might seem a little rough around the edges, give them time and you could find that they're actually good people. If you give me a chance, you might find that we could be great friends. I wouldn't hurt you." Yoh replied.

'''_Maybe, but like I said before, who's to say I won't hurt you?_''' The voice said coolly.

"You might, but I'm willing to take that risk." Yoh said, his determination unwavering.

For a long moment, there was only silence. Yoh wondered if the voice got irritated and left. He hoped that it would come back, not wanting to think that he had somehow upset his unseen friend. Then, after several minutes of maddening silence, a response.

'''_...Fine, I give._''' The voice sighed.

"We're friends then?" Yoh asked hopefully.

'''_I suppose. You don't know a thing about me, yet we're friends... Pretty strange friends if you ask me._''' The voice chuckled.

"Hehe. Maybe, but even strange friends are still friends." Yoh said happily.

VvV

Me: Since I forgot to say it before: Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king.

Aura: Please review.


End file.
